Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-03-21

Lee at Fredericksburg? Yet in both IN
stances the northern commander got
safely away, and other similar Instances
could be mentioned. The critical military
student of this war who knows the power
which regular troops, well-officered and
well-oireCted by d thoroughly efficient
staff, placed in the hands of an able gen.
eTal, and who has acquired as intimate
and complete knowledge OF what these
two COntending American armes we're
really like, will, think, agree that, from
first 20 last, the cooperation OF even one
army corps OF regular troops WOuld nave
given complete victory to whichever side
it ought on. | 1e|t this when | visited
the south, and during the progress Of the
war l neard the same opinion ex-
pressed 9y many others who had inspected
the COntending armies. | say this with
no wish to detract in any way from
the courage or other fighting quSlj-
ties If troops engaged. l yield TO none
IN my admlratiou of their war-like
achievements but can not bring myself
TO the hyperbOle OF writers who fer to
these armies as the finest that have ever
existed.
Those who know how difficult it is to
supply our own militia and volunteer
forces with efficient officers can appre-
Ciate what difficulties General Lee had 10
overcome in the formation of the army he
SO often leu TO victory. He had about aim
able assistants, who, like himself, hsd re
Ceived an excellent military education ~
West Point. To the inexperienced SOL
der it is no matter Of surprise, but to the
general reader it will be of interest TO
know that, on either side in this war,
almost every general whose name will
be remembered III the future had been
educated at that military school, and had
been trained in the old regular army
of the United States. In talking to me
of all the Federal generals, Lee mentioned
Mcclellan with most respect and regard.
He spoke bitterly of nOne--a remarkable
fact, as at that time men on both sides
were wont to heap the most violent
terms of abuse upon their respective enc
mics. He thus reprOved a clergyman who
had spoken in his sermon very bitterly Of
their enemies: 81 have fought against
the people OF the north because believed
they were seeking TO Wrest from the south
her dearest rights; but | have never cher
ished toward them bitter or vIndictive
feelings, and | have never seen the day
when did not pray for them" l asked
him how many men he had at the battle
of Autietam, from which he had then re-
Gently returned. He said he had never
had, during that whole day, more than
about thirty thousand men in line, al
though ne had behind him q small army
of tired troops and of shoeless
stregglers, who never came up during the
battle. He estimated McCIellan's army
at about one hundred thousand men. A
friend of mine, who at that same time was
at the Federal headquarters, there made
similar inquiries. General McClellan's
reply COrrObOrated the correctness of
Lees estimate of the Federal numbers Ut
Antietam, but he said he thought the Con-
federate army was little. stronger than
that under his command. | mention this
because both those generals were most
truthful men, and whatever they stated
can be implicitly relied on. l also refer to
it because the usual proportion through
out the war between the contending sides
in each action ranged from about twice to
three times more Federals than there were
COnfederates engaged. With reference to
the relstive numbers employed on both
sides, the following amusing story was
told to me at the time. A deput9ti0n
from some of the New England States
had attended at The White House, and
laid their business before the President.
AS they were leaving MIR. LinCOln's room
one of the delegates turned round and
said: "Mr. President, l should very
much like to know what you reckon to
be me number IF rebels III arms against
US " Mr.. Lincoln, without s. moments
hesitation, replied: "Sir, have the best
possible reason for knowing the number
to be one million of men, for whenever
one Of our generals engages a rebel army
he reports that ne had encountered q
a force twice his strength; now l know
we have half million of soldiers in the
field, so l am bound TO believe the rebels
have twice that number"
As q student OF war | would fain linger
over the interesting lessons to be learnt
from Lees Campaigns Of the same race
as both belligerentS, | could with the
utmost pleasure dwell upon the many
brilliant feats of arms on both sides; but
l cannot do so here.
The end came at last, when the we'll
supplied north, rich enough to pay re-
cruits, no matter where they came from,
q bounty Of over $500 a head, triumphed
over an exhausted south, hemmed in on
all sides, and even cut eff from all COM
with the outside world. The
though drawn battle OF Gettys-
burg was the death-knell of southern indie
pendepce; and General Sherman's
splendid but almost unopposed march to
the sea showed the world that all further
resistance on the part of the Confederate |
States could only be proftless waste of
blood. In the thirty-five days of fighting
near Richmond which ended the war of
1865, General Grants army numbered l90,- |
900, that of Lee only 81 900 men. Every |
man lost by the former was easily !
replaced, but an exhausted south could /
find no more soldiers. "The right of |
which Washington |
won, and for which Lee fought, was no |
longer to be a watchword to stir mems |
blood in the United States. The south |
was humbled and beaten by lis own flesh |
and blood in the north, and it is difficult |
to know which to admire most, the good |
sense with which the result was accepted |
n the so-called Confederate States or the |
wise magnanimity displayed by the VIC
.Ors. The wounds are now healed on |
both sides; nOrtherners and southerners
ire now once more a united people, with !
/ future before them TO which no other |
nation can aspire. II the English speak
ng people of the earth cannot all acknoWl-